The Phantom Sound - Video Of The Week Exclusive

The Phantom Sound aka Marisa Schlussel is exclusively premiering her new song which is called, Voices here on Ralph's Life. It's from her upcoming second album currently being recorded with Ken Stringfellow, who is producing once again. 

The album will feature Dale Crover of The Melvins and Nirvana (Bleach), and Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls and Scarlet Sails on drums. 

The new album has Marisa progressing into a harder, edgier sound, and Voices is a good introduction to take you over to what will be a heartfelt, personal, sometimes politically charged punk rock album at it's heart.

Words/music by: Marisa Schlussel, Produced/mixed by Ken Stringfellow
Guitar, bass, keys/synth: Ken Stringfellow
Drums: Dale Crover
Vocals: Marisa Schlussel Video: Ashley Jones | thechaosengineers.com

Áine Duffy & TheHypnotyst

Ralph is pleased and proud to be able to premiere GRIT the new single from Áine Duffy & The Hypnotyst.  The two combined forces last April, attempting to create a revolutionary new sound unheard of in the music industry. 

Cultivating influences from nearly every genre, with a heavy electronic leaning, electric guitar and big vocals. 

With GRIT Áine Duffy & The Hypnotyst flirts with dance, rock and funk to innovatively combine genres and moods, creating their own individual sound which is designed to get concert venues rocking and the dance floors moving.

Photo copyright Murphy Kie 2016

Grit is a swirling soundscape of Áine's raunchy vocal overlaid on a funky electronic beat laid down by The Hypnotyst and not only is it being premiered here in the UK on this blog, but it gets a first time spin on Ralph's Radio KC Indie Show this Sunday (20th November) and is Video Of The Week on ralphslife.co.uk from tomorrow.

With an album in the offing for 2017 and their music being mixed by three time Grammy nominated Emily Lazar (The Prodigy, Sia, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Moby and David Bowie) it's exciting times ahead for Cork born Áine Duffy and composer/producer The Hypnotyst.

December 1st:          The Harbour Bar     Bray, Ireland                 Tickets & More

December 3rd:          Madame Claude     Berlin, Germany            Tickets & More

December 17th:        Hackett's Bar          Skibbereen, Ireland       Tickets & More

Graham Marshall

Ralph's Life is pleased and proud to be able to exclusively bring you the premiere of the Graham Marshall video for his single 'Making It On My Own'...

The Graham Marshall story is reflected in his catalogue of songs: survival, adventure, love and tragedy are more than mere subjects of whim to strum his guitar to.

At 20, his band, Screaming Silence, was a hit in his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. But on the brink of the showcase gig that would “seal the deal” with a label, the lead member “disappeared” after running into some unsavoury entanglements. A couple of years later, Graham entered into a rehabilitation program for clinical depression and put on a cocktail of drugs at the hands of questionable care workers. 

Unconvinced by the prospect, Graham discharged himself, disposed of all his medication and began to song write himself to recovery night after sleepless night.


Anxious to leave a turbulent past behind, Graham packed his guitar, a few personal belongings and exiled to Australia where he lived on the move. But it was on his way back home to Glasgow that his adventures truly began; making unplanned pit stops in Singapore, Borneo and Malaysia. He climbed Southeast Asia’s highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu, and was hosted by the indigenous Iban tribe who for the most part had never laid eyes upon a white man, let alone a Scottish local rock’n’roll hero.

After returning home with 20p (or 13¢), Graham later met his future wife, Helen, and in an effort to leave his troubled past behind, relocated to Sunderland, England. When the recession hit, Graham was out of work and music was his only saviour. Despite being broke and on occasions selling his possessions to make ends meet, Graham gathered enough money to record a 5 track acoustic demo. In early 2010 his five-song collection would find its way to iconic music manager Bill Aucoin (Kiss, Billy Idol, Billy Squier). 



Bill and his team insisted on pressing the songs just as Marshall had laid them down. This collection of songs was to become his first solo EP, Ten Years Stuck in Traffic (a metaphor - being stuck on the wrong road of life when you know your destiny lies elsewhere).





In an enthusiastic effort to self-promote his first release and to impress Bill Aucoin, Marshall, now a well-seasoned traveller, embarked on a cross-country UK tour, busking an impressive 18 gigs in a jaw dropping seven days from John O‘Groats to Land‘s End. Filmed by his wife Helen, they made just enough money for fuel to take them to the next town. Sadly, Bill Aucoin would succumb to cancer in June of 2010, four short weeks after completing the tour. However, this did not slow down this prolific songwriter. 

Once again, Marshall coped the best way he knew how... by writing music. As a last ditch attempt, now with limited options available, Graham edited the footage from the tour which was to become his self made film “Out in the Cold”, and entered as many film festivals as he could afford. Due to the amateur nature of the film, Marshall was the clear and irrefutable underdog. Many months later, after giving up hope on the film festivals, Marshall made contact with Los Angeles based producer, Fernando Perdomo, who jumped at the chance to produce “Makin’ It On My Own”, a track from Graham’s 2010 acoustic EP. 

This venture was doubly blessed as the track’s completion coincided with news the following day that Marshall’s makeshift film, “Out in the Cold”, had earned a 2013 Castell Award at the Barcelona International Film Festival.
　
Now back driving trucks, Graham immediately reported the news via text message to BBC Radio 2’s Janice Long, who not only read his message to the entire UK listening audience, but interviewed him live on air amidst his late night drive shift. Marshall’s story sparked an outpouring of support and his fresh-out-of-the-oven single, “Makin’ It On My Own”, made its national radio debut two nights later.




Marshall is now in the process of recording his debut album “Demos & Dreams”, although he is carrying on with his DIY attitude and recording a uniquely home made album along with fellow musician Jensen Brite. Using instruments ranging from a tub of lentils to a dining room chair, Marshall & Brite have struck up a strong musical connection which is already bearing fruit. “Freedom Call”, the first track released from the forthcoming album got to number 1 on the Scottish New Music Chart.

The future looks bright for this prolific songwriter. In Marshall's own words, "Nothing's really over until the moment you stop trying".

Ded Rabbit

Ralph's Life is delighted to be able to exclusively premiere the video that accompanies one of the tracks from the Double A Side single by Ded Rabbit both here in the blog and on the ralphslife.co.uk website.

They also have a track on the Ralph's Life CD for Rethink Mental Illness. The video for Never Gonna Learn is available from now to watch here...

Comprising four brothers, Ded Rabbit are an Alt rock/Indie band consisting of: Eugene (vocals, rhythm guitar), Fergus (lead guitar), Donal (bass) and Eoin Gaine (drums). 2015 was their most notable year to date - with a number of well received EP releases, they continued to complete a number of high profile performances that should be on any UK band’s bucket list.





Notable achievements of 2015 include: headlining the Tbreak Stage on the Saturday night of T in The Park, Xpo North, Wide Days, SAMA nomination for ‘Best Live Act’, continued air play from BBCRadio 6’s Steve Lamacq and Vic Galloway and recent support from Sat Bisla’s Passport Approved show who have been airing a number of Ded Rabbit tracks on various station worldwide including KROQ (Los Angeles).

Originally from Yorkshire, Ded Rabbit moved to the Highlands in 1996 and through the isolation and a developing love of music, the brothers started playing music together about ten years ago. After moving to Edinburgh to study, they started working together in the studio, releasing their EPs Wash Away 2014, Wake Up In A Dream and Moving In Slow Motion in 2015 the brotherly unit found their recent partnership with Glasgow based Rocket Science Studios, who have recorded the likes of Texas and Bell & Sebastian.